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JOHN  BRERETON 


BRERETON 

A  FAMILY  HISTORY 


BY 


JOHN  BRERETON 


Htcttion 


SAN  FRANCISCO 

JOHN    BRERETON 

I919 


Copyright  tgig^  by  John  Bririton 


Frinted  by  Taylor  &  Taylor,  8an  Francisco 


BRERETON 

A  FAMILY  HISTORY 


388483 


BRERETON 

A  FAMILY  HISTORY 

BIOGRAPHY  is  history  in  action. 
All  should  take  pride  in  knowing 
something  regarding  their  forefa- 
thers, where  they  came  from,  and  what  they 
have  done.  This  work  gives  an  outline  of 
the  Brereton  family  history  in  England, 
Ireland,  and  America,  from  A.  D.  1066  to 
the  present,  but  does  not  attempt  a  detailed 
pedigree  of  the  different  branches,  or  as- 
sume to  prove  "royal  descent  from  Nor- 
man, Saxon,  and  Celt";  that  is  left  to  such 
works  as  ''Ormerod's  History  of  Cheshire," 
"Memoirs  of  the  Brereton  Family,"  by  Sir 
Fortunatus  Dwarris,  and  "The  Breretons  of 
Cheshire,"  by  Robert  Maitland  Brereton. 
These  scholarly  works  are  mostly  occupied 
with  English  records,  touch  lightly  on  Irish 
Breretons, and  say  little  or  nothing  of  Amer- 
ican families,  of  whom  no  account  has  been 
attempted  before. 
The  causes  that  led  Breretons  from  Eng- 


BRERETON 

land  to  Ireland  and  America  were  historic, 
and  are  treated  here  from  that  view-point. 
The  loss  of  family  records,  early  variations 
in  spelling  the  name,  families  bearing 
names  derived  from  ours,  make  a  romance 
of  interest,  and  are  noted  as  a  part  of  this 
"Brereton." 

The  sources  from  which  material  has 
been  gathered  are  many:  several  histories  of 
Cheshire,  extracts  from  old  town  and 
church  archives,  antiquarian  and  curious 
chronicles,  colonial  documents,  records 
from  army  and  civil  life  in  Europe  and 
America,  have  each  yielded  their  quota. 
Years  of  correspondence  withBreretons  and 
other  families  over  the  world  has  made  the 
work  possible. 

Failure  of  a  few  to  answer  letters,  be- 
cause too  modest  to  tell  their  story,  and  a 
total  lack  of  records  by  others,  have  made  it 
difficult  to  make  the  history  complete.  The 
war  has  broken  into  many  families  and  de- 
layed the  work;  but  as  the  first  collection  of 
American  Breretons,  it  may  awaken  interest 
and  keep  laudable  family  pride  from  losing 


A  FAMILY  HISTORY 

its  inspiring  influence,  by  prompting  fathers 
to  recite  to  their  sons  the  worthy  deeds  of 
their  grandsires.  Foolish  boasting  and  cheap 
family  pride  have  brought  pedigrees  into 
disrepute,  but  it  is  now  known  as  a  scientific 
fact  in  biology  that  heredity  counts  for 
more  than  environment — that  we  pass  on  to 
our  descendants  only  that  which  we  have  in- 
herited from  our  ancestors;  therefore,  the 
greater  need  of  careful  selection  in  mar- 
riage, and  cultivating  our  best  traits  to  be- 
come full  -  grown  men,  and  thus  control 
destiny. 

Many  family  pedigrees  are  made  up  of 
guesses  and  assumptions  based  on  hearsay; 
but  we  are  fortunate  in  having  definite  rec- 
ords on  file,  and  a  landed  estate,  known  as 
"Brereton,"  near  Chester,  England,  since 
A.  D.  1066. 

Few  subjects  are  more  interesting  than 
the  origin  of  English  family  names.  There 
were  not  many  such  until  after  the  Norman 
Conquest.  In  early  times  single  names  were 
common  to  every  nation — the  Bible  gives  no 
others — and  many  great  historic  characters 

3 


BRERETON 

are  so  known  at  the  present  time.  Most  fam- 
ily names  had  their  origin  in  some  peculiar- 
ity, trade,  or  location,  which  at  first  was 
added  to  distinguish  each  from  others  of  the 
same  name.  ^^John"  was  long  or  short,  lived 
on  a  hill  or  in  a  forest,  was  a  smith,  tailor, 
or  mason.  Through  the  Middle  Ages  almost 
every  name  was  written  with  "le,"  *'de," 
or  "atte,"  indicating  that  "John"  was  a 
clerk,  or  lived  in  the  woods  or  at  the  tavern. 
In  time  these  prefixes  were  dropped,  and 
the  trade,  location,  or  peculiarity  became 
fixed  as  a  family  name,  as  it  is  today.  The 
same  name  often  had  many  origins,  because 
there  were  many  bakers,  farmers,  shepherds, 
many  a  wolf,  fox,  or  fisher,  each  the  begin- 
ning of  similar  family  names. 

Brereton  had  but  one  origin,  beginning 
with  the  Norman  Conquest,  preserved  in 
"The  Roll  of  Battle  Abbey"  and  "Domes- 
day Book,"  and  perpetuated  in  the  manor 
of  "Brereton,"  in  Cheshire,  England.  This 
was  the  first  Brereton  home,  and  so  con- 
tinued since  A.  D.  1066,  when  William  the 
Conqueror  confiscated  most  of  the  Saxon 


A  FAMILY  HISTORY 

estates  and  gave  them  to  his  Norman  bar- 
ons. 

Domesday  Book  describes  this  estate  as 
"Brereton,"  and  all  who  bear  the  name  are 
doubtless  descended  from  those  Norman  set- 
tlers of  eight  hundred  and  fifty  years  ago. 

Battle  Abbey  was  built  by  William  to 
commemorate  his  victory  at  Hastings,  A.D. 
1066,  and  the  historic  "Roll"  is  said  to  con- 
tain the  names  of  six  hundred  and  twenty- 
nine  chiefs  of  the  Norman  nobles  who  fol- 
lowed the  King  to  victory.  The  original  roll 
was  destroyed  by  fire,  but  of  three  copies 
taken  from  it  the  name  "Brereton,"  in  vari- 
ous forms  of  spelling,  is  found  in  each.  Spell- 
ing was  not  an  exact  science  then  as  now; 
Beardsley,  in  his  work  on  names,  gives  an 
instance  of  one  hundred  and  thirty-seven 
different  ways  of  spelling  "Mannering" 
among  Cheshire  records,  often  differing 
many  times  in  the  same  line,  written  by  the 
same  hand. 

All  doubt  about  the  name  is  removed  by 
Domesday  Book,  which  locates  and  de- 
scribes the  estate  known  as  "Brereton,"  and 

S 


BRERETON 

is  SO  known,  with  its  "Brereton  Hall,"  to  the 
present  time.  It  is  there  spelled  "Bretone," 
while  in  copies  of  "The  Roll  of  Battle  Ab- 
bey" it  is  "Bretoun,"  "Breton,"  and  "Bere- 
ton,"  variations  similar  to  the  curious  ways 
strangers  attempt  to  spell  it  today. 

In  1086,  Domesday  Book  was  prepared 
at  command  of  the  King,  being  a  census  of 
all  land,  stock,  property  and  people  then  in 
England.  It  was  done  for  the  purpose  of  as- 
sessing war-tax  for  support  of  the  govern- 
ment. The  original  is  one  of  the  most  valued 
relics  of  the  treasures  of  England;  copies 
taken  from  it  are  held  priceless  in  the  great 
libraries  of  the  world.  The  extract  here  giv- 
en is  in  the  ancient  Latin,  many  abbrevi- 
ations being  filled  in  to  make  it  intelligible 
to  those  not  familiar  with  the  original  form 
in  which  it  was  written. 

"Isdem  Gislebertus  (de  Venables) ; 
tenet  Bretone;  Ulviet  tenuit.  Ibi  ii  hi- 
dae  geldabiles.  Terre  est  iv  carucarum 
in  dominio,  est  una  et  ii  bovarii,  et  ii 
villani,et  iii  bordarii.  Ibi  una  acra  pra- 
6 


A  FAMILY  HISTORY 

ti.  Silva  una  leuva  longa,  et  dimidia 
lata,  et  molinum  de  xii  denariis.  De  hac 
terra  ii  homines  eius  unam  hidam,  et 
habent  una  carucum,  cum  ii  servis,  et 
ii  villanis,  et  iv  bordariis.  Totum  tem- 
pore R.  Edwardi  valebat  xx  solidos, 
modo  similiter.  Wasta  invenitur." 

This  when  freely  translated  reads:  "The 
same  Gilbert  de  Venables  holds  Brereton.    ^,-^~—       ;^-— i 
Wulfgeat  previously  held  it^here  is  l^ndj^^J^J^J^ 
enough   for   four  plows   in   the   demesne.  '^  jL--^ 

There  are  one  or  two  oxmen,  and  two  vil- 
lains, and  three  bordars.  There  is  one  acre  ^ 
of  meadow,  woodland  one  league  long  and 
half  a  league  wide,  and  a  mill  paying  twelve- 
pence  tax.  Of  this  land  two  men,  retainers  of 
his,  hold  one  hide  and  have  one  plow,  with 
two  serfs,  and  two  villains,  and  four  bordars. 
The  whole  in  the  time  of  King  Edward 
(1066)  was  taxed  twenty  shillings,  now 
(1086)  to  be  taxed  the  same.  Gilbert  found 
it  waste." 

This  record  gives  a  history  of  the  times. 
Wulfgeat,  the  former  owner,  lost  this  estate 

7 


BRERETON 

and  twelve  others  of  vast  extent,  as  shown 
on  the  same  page  in  Domesday  Book.  A 
"hide"  was  about  one  hundred  and  twenty 
acres,  a  "plow"  included  six  oxen  and  as 
many  oxmen.  Serfs,  villains,  and  bordars 
were  different  grades  of  bondmen.  Cheshire 
was  the  last  to  yield  to  the  Normans ;  so,  in 
punishment,  all  Saxon  owners  were  driven 
out  and  Earl  Hugh,  nephew  to  the  Con- 
queror, was  given  the  county  as  a  palatinate, 
or  small  kingdom.  This  Hugh  Lupus  (the 
Wolf)  created  nine  barons,  who,  with  him, 
ruled  Cheshire.  Gilbert  de  Venables  was 
one  of  the  barons,  also  others  whose  names 
we  shall  meet  later,  as  the  Breretons  were 
related  and  married  into  the  families  of 
these  barons  for  hundreds  of  years  after- 
wards. 

After  the  Roll  of  Battle  Abbey  (1066) 
and  DomesdayBook(1086)  ,the  next  record 
was  about  1087,  in  the  reign  of  William  Ru- 
fus,  when  a  charter,  given  Gilbert  de  Ven- 
ables, was  witnessed  by  Ralph  de  Brereton. 
These  parchments,  with  their  signatures 
and  seals,  still  exist  among  the  town  and 
8 


A  FAMILY  HISTORY 

church  records  of  Cheshire.  Dates  then 
were  not  as  now;  the  year  began  at  Christ- 
mas, or  Easter,  or  some  other  church  holy- 
day,  or  with  the  reign  of  the  King.  Much 
labor  is  involved  to  make  sure  of  exact  time, 
but  the  variation  is  not  great. 
'^  About  1176,  Ralph  de  Brereton,  a  grand- 
son of  the  first  Ralph,  is  witness  in  a  grant 
of  Marton  to  Richard  de  Davenport. 

About  1194,  William  de  Brereton,  son  of 
this  last  Ralph,  received  a  deed  at  the  time 
of  his  marriage  to  Margery,  daughter  of 
Randle  de  Torhaunt,  eight  witnesses  sign- 
ing the  contract.  This  William  was  knight- 
ed by  Henry  III  in  1208,  the  beginning  of 
honors  held  in  the  Brereton  family  for  over 
five  hundred  years. 

In  1216,  Sir  Ralph  de  Brereton,  son  of 
William,  granted  land  to  "Brereton" 
church,  as  shown  by  parish  records  still  in 
existence. 

About  1232,  this  Sir  Ralph  received  pay- 
ment of  "half  a  salt  works"  for  some  public 
services  done  in  Cheshire. 

During  the  year  1250,Sir  William  Brere- 

9 


BRERETON 

ton  was  witness  to  legal  documents  in  Ches- 
ter. In  1307,  another  William  Brereton  was 
witness  to  four  deeds  still  on  file  there.  The 
same  year,  William  le  Brereton,  Kt,  was 
witness  to  deeds  of  sale  in  Chester. 

Sir  William  Brereton,  Kt.,  son  and  heir 
of  Ralph,  married  a  daughter  of  Sir  Rich- 
ard de  Sandbach,  in  fulfillment  of  a  con- 
tract made  with  William  de  Venables. 

About  1275,  Sir  William  Brereton  mar- 
ried Roesia,  daughter  of  Ralph  de  Vernon. 
This  wedding  united  the  Breretons  with  the 
Vernons  of  "Haddon  Hall,"  so  well  de- 
scribed by  Majors  in  the  novel  "Dorothy 
Vernon."  This  Sir  William  later  gave  one 
hundred  marks  for  the  marriage  of  their 
daughter  Margery  to  Thomas  de  Daven- 
port in  1301.  He  was  knighted  by  Edward 
III  in  1321. 

In  1342,  Sir  William  and  his  wife,  Roe- 
sia, united  in  a  deed  of  lands  in  Brereton 
parish.  Roesia  must  have  believed  in  "wom- 
an's rights"  and  had  her  name  put  in  the 
deeds.  This  Sir  William  received  indulgen- 
ces from  the  Pope  for  services  rendered  in 

lO 


I       A  FAMILY  HISTORY 

the  Crusades  to  the  Holy  Sepulchre,  about 
1350. 

Now  let  us  inquire  about  the  Brereton 
coat  of  arms.  Why  was  it  adopted,  and  what 
does  it  signify?  Every  knight  engaged  in 
the  Crusades  wore  armor  and  had  some  in- 
signia which  distinguished  him  from  others 
in  battle.  Frequently  these  indicated  his 
name  or  some  important  event  in  the  family 
history. 

The  motto  "Opitulante  Deo"  (With  the 
aid  of  God)  needs  no  explanation;  it  is  a 
beautiful  sentiment,  in  accord  with  the  best 
thought  of  past  and  present.  But  why  the 
bear?  We  attempt  only  a  few  guesses:  Per- 
haps those  old  warriors  thought  the  first 
half  of  the  name  sounded  like  bear;  or,  in 
times  when  the  stars  had  much  to  do  with 
life,  the  Ursa  Major — great  bear,  or  dip- 
per— with  its  pointers  to  the  north  star,  may 
have  signified  that  Breretons  were  to  be 
guides  to  travelers  in  the  journey  of  life ;  or 
the  word  "bear,"  to  support,  carry,  endure, 
bear  and  forbear.  Pope  says,  "'Tis  the  bear's 
talent  not  to  kick  but  to  hug" ;  this  is  mod- 
11 


BRERETON 

ern  in  its  application,  suggesting  that  Brere- 
tons  should  never  be  ^'knockers." 

The  coat  of  arms  illustrated  is  that  found 
in  Brereton  Hall,  the  recognized  Brereton 
standard;  but  there  were  many  others  be- 
longing to  different  branches,  as  given  in 
Fairbirns'  Book  of  Crests,  including  bears 
in  several  attitudes,  a  unicorn  and  a  fierce- 
looking  dragon.  The  little  seal,  used  in  the 
book  and  stationery,  is  my  design,  express- 
ing the  essential  facts  of  the  family  history 
— its  English  origin,  1066;  its  emblem,  the 
bear;  its  faith,  "Opitulante  Deo"  (With  the 
aid  of  God)  ;  and  the  name  Brereton.  May 
they  never  grow  less ! 

A  reliable  authority  says:  "Many  Breton 
lords  are  known  to  have  followed  William 
the  Conqueror  into  England."  The  estate 
was  doubtless  named  "Bretone,"  after  that 
part  of  France,  and  the  family  occupying  it 
took  the  name,  as  was  then  the  custom. 

The  following  items  in  heraldry  should 
be  clear,  to  avoid  ridiculous  mistakes,  into 
which  ambitious  and  recently  rich  Ameri- 
cans sometimes  fall :  A  coat  of  arms  may  in- 

12 


A  FAMILY  HISTORY 

elude  the  shield,  emblems,  supporters,  hel- 
met, crest,  motto,  and  ornaments.  No  wom- 
an except  a  queen  may  bear  a  crest;  unmar- 
ried women  may  not  bear  the  family  arms 
on  a  knight's  shield,  but  use  the  same  design 
on  a  lozenge  ( 0 )  instead. 

In  confining  our  genealogy  to  the  one  line 
of  ''Breretons  of  Brereton  Hall,"  we  give 
but  a  glimpse  of  what  might  be  done  if  we 
were  to  follow  other  branches,  a  score  of 
them,  each  having  won  renown,  and  pro- 
duced men  of  even  greater  attainments.  But 
space  forbids;  so  we  refer  our  readers  to 
other  works,  where  they  may  find  lists  of 
noted  names.  Our  aim  is  not  to  tell  all,  but 
try  to  inform  those  not  acquainted  with  the 
family  history,  and  if  possible  "stir  up  the 
gifts  that  are  within"  those  who  have  failed 
to  measure  up  to  their  full  stature  of  man- 
hood. 

Returning  to  the  records,  we  find  that 
William  de  Brereton,  son  of  the  previous 
Sir  William,  died  before  his  father,  leaving 
a  son  of  the  same  name. 

13 


BRERETON 

In  1354,  Sir  William  Brereton,  heir  to 
his  grandfather,  married  EUena,  daughter 
of  David  de  Egerton,  a  descendant  of  the 
Norman  barons;  by  this  alliance  the  Brere- 
ton estates  were  greatly  extended,  placing 
their  social  standing  among  the  best  in  Eng- 
land. 

In  1386,  Sir  William  Brereton,  son  of  the 
above,  married  Anylla,  daughter  of  Sir 
William  Venables,  a  descendant  of  Gilbert 
de  Venables,  first  baron  of  Cheshire,  and 
grantee  of  the  first  Brereton  estate,  three 
hundred  years  before.  By  a  second  mar- 
riage, to  Elena,  daughter  of  Sir  William 
Massey  of  Tatton  Hall,  in  1426,  the  Brere- 
ton holdings  were  among  the  great  estates 
of  England,  including  the  manors  of  Mal- 
pas  and  Picton,  with  lands  in  WoodhuU, 
Crouton,  Charlton,  and  Norwich. 

William  de  Brereton,  son  of  the  above, 
married  Alice,  sister  and  heiress  of  Sir 
Richard  Corbett  of  Leighton ;  this  William 
died  during  the  life  of  his  father.  About 
this  time  the  '*de"  was  dropped  from  Eng- 
lish names,  as  it  was  simply  a  descriptive 

14 


A  FAMILY  HISTORY 

term  and  never  a  title,  nor  represented  any 
special  honor. 

In  1409,  a  record  says  that  King  Henry 
removed  the  Mayor  of  Chester  and  placed 
Sir  William  Brereton  in  charge  as  military 
governor. 

William  Brereton,  on  the  death  of  his 
grandfather,  in  143S,  was  found  heir  to  the 
vast  estates  of  Brereton,  and  also  the  estates 
of  his  step-mother,  in  Tilston  and  HerthuU, 
as  recorded  in  1438.  He  v^as  knighted  in 
1485.  His  son, William  Brereton,  died  issue- 
less, breaking  the  line  of  descent,  the  suc- 
cession passing  to  his  nephew,  son  of  Sir  An- 
drew Brereton,  in  1507. 

On  December  7,  1496,  a  deed  was  re- 
corded to  Ralph  Brereton,  brother  of  Sir 
Randle  Brereton  of  Malpas.  This  Sir  Ran- 
dle  was  Chamberlain  and  Knight  of  the 
Bedchamber  to  Henry  VII  and  Henry 
VIII.  His  son,  John  Brereton,  about  1534, 
started  the  Norfolk  branch  of  Breretons, 
from  which  many  noted  families  have 
sprung. 

In  1507,  Sir  William  Brereton  held  vast 

15 


BRERETON 

estates,  and  also  had  control  of  the  appoint- 
ment of  clergymen  to  churches  at  Brereton, 
Malpas,  Tilston,  and  St.  John's. 

As  a  side-light  on  court  life  of  the  period, 
there  is  a  record  of  one  Sir  William  Brere- 
ton of  Malpas,  whom  Henry  VIII  suspect- 
ed of  being  too  familiar  with  the  Queen, 
Anne  Boleyn.  He  was  confined  in  the  tower 
of  London,  and  later  the  King  gave  orders 
to  "muzzle  the  bear,"  meaning  to  take  his 
head  off;  so  Sir  William  died  May  17,1536, 
and  two  days  later  the  Queen,  mother  of 
Queen  Elizabeth,  was  beheaded.  There  is  a 
legend  that  ever  since  that  event  the  bear  on 
the  Brereton  arms  has  been  muzzled,  but  in 
free  America  we  have  left  the  bear  free  also. 

In  1537,  the  wealthy  Nunnery  of  Chester 
was  dissolved,  and  its  property  confiscated 
by  the  King,  as  part  of  the  policy  of  the 
"reformation."  In  1541,  these  buildings  and 
grounds  were  granted  to  "Urian  Brereton, 
the  elder,  and  his  son,  free  of  taxes,"  for 
favors  done  the  King.  For  a  century  this 
place  was  used  as  a  manorial  residence  by 
the  Breretons,  but  was  destroyed  in  1646  by 
i6 


A  FAMILY  HISTORY 

Cromweirs  army,  led  by  Sir  William  Brere- 
ton. 

Sir  William  Brereton,  grandson  of  the 
Lord  High  Marshal  of  Ireland,  1540,  was 
married  to  Jane,  daughter  of  Sir  Peter  War- 
burton  of  Arley. 

Sir  William  Brereton,  born  in  1550,  mar- 
ried Margaret,  granddaughter  of  the  Earl 
of  Rutland,  being  the  same  family,  and 
about  the  time  Dorothy  Vernon  married  in- 
to the  Rutland  family.  This  Sir  William 
built  Brereton  Hall  in  1586,  the  corner- 
stone of  which  is  said  to  have  been  laid  by 
Queen  Elizabeth.  He  was  created  "Lord 
Brereton  of  Leighlin"  in  Ireland,  May  11, 
1624. 

John,  eldest  son  of  Lord  Brereton,  died 
in  his  father's  lifetime,  leaving  a  son,  Wil- 
liam, the  second  Lord  Brereton,  who  suc- 
ceeded his  grandfather  in  1631 ;  but  having 
sided  with  the  King  against  Parliament,  lost 
most  of  his  estates,  suffering  great  financial 
and  social  reverses. 

William,  the  third  Lord  B  rereton,  through 
loyalty  to  the  King,  lost  the  barony  of  Mal- 

17 


BRERETON 

pas.  He  was  a  scholarly  man,  being  credited 
with  founding  the  Royal  Society  in  1658. 

John,  the  fourth  Lord  Brereton,  and 
Francis,  his  brother,  the  fifth  Lord  Brere- 
ton, both  dying  without  issue,  title  to 
"Brereton  Hall"  in  1722  passed  through  the 
female  line  to  the  Holts  of  Aston,  Warwick- 
shire, after  being  in  the  Brereton  family 
continuously  for  six  hundred  and  fifty-six 
years.  It  has  since  passed  from  the  Holts, 
having  been  sold  to  satisfy  other  claims,  but 
retains  the  old  name,  and  is  shown  to  visit- 
ors as  '^Brereton  Hall." 

Old  Chester,  the  county  seat  of  Cheshire, 
near  which  Brereton  Hall  is  located,  is 
among  the  most  interesting  places  in  all 
England.  The  ancient  wall  with  its  towers 
stands  as  a  relic  of  the  past.  The  Romans 
held  it  for  four  hundred  years,  and  remains 
of  their  works  are  found  twenty  feet  beneath 
the  present  surface.  It  was  a  border  fort 
held  against  Welsh  invasion  for  centuries. 
There  are  many  ancient  ruins,  buildings, 
and  castles, the  best-known  being  Hawarden 
Castle,  the  home  of  the  great  Gladstone, 

18 


A  FAMILY  HISTORY 

which    is    about   twenty  -  five   miles    from 
Brereton  Hall. 

Brereton  Hall  is  situated  on  a  gentle  rise 
on  the  bank  of  the  Croco,  two  miles  north 
of  Sandbach,  Cheshire,  England,  located 
on  the  estate  known  as  "Brereton"  since  the 
Norman  Conquest  in  1066,  and  recorded  in 
Domesday  Book  in  1086.  The  principal 
front  of  the  hall  faces  west,  having  wings 
terminating  in  gables,  and  two  lofty  octag- 
onal towers,  enriched  with  large  bay  win- 
dows and  various  ornaments  in  the  mixed 
style  of  Queen  Elizabeth,  with  the  rose  and 
portcullis,  the  royal  arms,  and  those  of  the 
family.  Over  the  door  is  the  date,  1S86.  Sev- 
eral inscriptions  set  within  rich  framework 
of  stucco  are  of  special  interest,  a  sample  of 
which  is  here  given : 

"Though  thou  be  for  thy  pedigree 
accounted  as  ancient  as  Saturn, 

In  wisdom  as  wise  as  Solomon,  in 
power  as  mightie  as  Alexander, 

In  wealth  as  rich  as  Croesus,  or  for 
thy  beauty  as  Flora; 

19 


BRERETON 

Yet  if  thou  be  careless  of  religion, 
and  neglect  the  true  service  of 
the  ever  living  God : 

Thou  art  a  Caytife  most  vyle  and 
miserable." 

The  following  is  the  quaint  description 
written  long  ago  by  Ormerod: 

"Brereton  standeth  upon  the  London 
way,  at  Blackmere,  or  Brereton  lake, 
and  hath  a  Fair,  which  is  held  on 
Brereton  green,  on  Lammasday,  be- 
ing the  first  day  of  August.  Not  far 
off  is  the  Parish  church  of  Brereton, 
and  near  unto  the  church  the  goodly 
Manor  -  place,  newly  builded,  all  of 
brick,  the  like  whereof  is  not  in  all  the 
country.  Therefore  it  is  not  to  be  omit- 
ted by  visitors,  and  not  so  much  for  its 
buildings,  as  for  the  number  of  ancient 
and  valient  Knights  and  gentlemen 
who  had  and  have  their  origin  thence." 

Burke,  the  great  English  authority  on 
genealogy,  says:  "The  last  Lord  Brereton 
20 


A  FAMILY  HISTORY 

was  a  lineal  descendant  of  the  nine  earls  of 
Chester,  of  whom  the  first  was  Hugh  Lu- 
pus, nephew  of  William  the  Conqueror." 

A  social  incident  in  the  passing  of  the  es- 
tates is  recorded  in  the  family  of  the  second 
Lord  Brereton  (1611-1664),  during  the  tri- 
umph of  Cromwell  and  losses  of  all  who 
supported  the  King's  cause.  Lord  William 
Brereton  had  ten  children,  of  whom  but  one 
married.  There  were  six  daughters,  Anne, 
Mary,  Frances,  Jane,  Margaret  and  Elisa- 
beth. All  lived  to  good  old  age — Mary,  80; 
Anne,  85.  Think  of  the  old  manor  in  its 
dark  days, with  fortune  gone,  and  these  girls 
left  in  social  neglect! 

As  a  contrast  to  this,  there  are  many  rec- 
ords in  old  English  churches  of  child-mar- 
riages, especially  among  the  landed  gentry, 
who  desired  the  union  of  their  houses  with 
others  of  large  fortunes,  or,  in  case  of  death, 
to  save  them  from  confiscation  by  the  King, 
as  the  law  then  permitted.  Richard,  Duke  of 
York,  at  four  years,  was  married  to  Anne 
Mowbray,  daughter  of  the  Duke  of  Nor- 
folk, she  being  six  years  old.  James  Ballard, 

21 


BRERETON 

at  ten  years,  was  given  two  apples  by  Anne, 
"a  big  girl,"  if  he  would  marry  her.  The 
temptation  was  effective ;  but  after  the  cere- 
mony, he  cried  to  go  home,  and  they  never 
met  again  until  November  8,  1S6S,  five 
years  later,  when  a  divorce  was  sought,  and 
the  church  dignitaries  and  learned  judges 
set  them  free.  At  Brereton  church,  in  1552, 
John  Somerford,aged  three  years,  and  Jane, 
daughter  of  Sir  William  Brereton,  aged  two 
and  a  half  years,  were  held  in  arms,  and 
prompted  to  respond  to  the  vows  of  matri- 
mony. The  record  was  made  April  15,  1564, 
when  the  said  Jane,  being  twelve  years  old, 
refused  to  ^'ratify"  the  marriage  or  have  the 
said  John  for  her  husband,  so  the  courts 
granted  a  "divorce." 

Two  more  items,  out  of  a  thousand  that 
might  be  taken  from  the  records  of  "Merrie 
England,  in  the  good  old  times,"  before  the 
days  of  modern  wage  slavery  and  present 
corrupt  social  conditions:  In  1322,  a  tower 
was  built  on  the  walls  of  Chester,  the  pay- 
roll for  labor  being  preserved.  Masons  were 
paid  threepence  per  day,  carpenters  three- 

22 


A  FAMILY  HISTORY 

pence,  laborers  twopence,  women  for  carry- 
ing rock  one  penny;  this  was  under  munici- 
pal ownership.  In  1086,  as  recorded  in 
Domesday  Book,  a  work-ox  was  valued  at 
two  shillings,  the  best  being  two  and  a  half 
shillings.  How  the  happy  farmer  of  today 
would  enjoy  selling  four-  and  five-year-old 
steers  at  fifty  and  sixty-five  cents  each! 

Let  us  now  inquire  what  other  Breretons 
have  been  doing.  We  have  followed  the  rec- 
ords of  the  heirs  to  the  fortunes  and  honors 
of  the  family  estate  and  Brereton  Hall.  But 
what  were  the  younger  sons  and  their  de- 
scendants doing? 

The  line  of  inheritance  having  been  brok- 
en in  1722,  no  Brereton  has  proven  title, 
through  the  eldest  son,  to  be  "Brereton  of 
Brereton  Hall,"  but  younger  branches  may 
have  as  good  blood  and  be  entitled  to  as 
high  a  place  in  the  intellectual  and  social 
world.  If  any  have  lost  out  in  the  race,  now 
is  an  opportune  time  to  lay  foundations  and 
build  for  the  future. 

Shakespeare  says,  "Some  are  born  great, 
some  achieve  greatness,  and  some  have 
23 


BRERETON 

greatness  thrust  upon  them."  We  have 
searched  many  sources,  and  find  Breretons 
known  to  fame  in  the  fields  of  war  and  in 
professional  and  civil  life,  in  Europe  and 
America,  from  which  we  select  a  few 
achievements. 

In  1300,  Gilbert  de  Brereton  was  rector 
of  Astbury,  near  Brereton.  In  1344,  Hermo 
Brereton  (son  of  Sir  William  and  Roesia) 
was  rector  of  Brereton  church.  Thomas 
de  Brereton  was  rector  of  Brereton  church 
in  1433. 

Humphrey  Brereton  of  Malpas  was  a 
writer  and  courtier  of  note  during  the  War 
of  the  Roses  (1455-1485),  playing  a  part  in 
diplomacy  between  Lord  Stanley,  Henry 
VII,  and  Richard  III. 

John,  Thomas,  and  Peter,  sons  of  Sir 
Randle  Brereton, were  all  clergymen  (1530- 
1550).  Cuthbert  Brereton  (1570-1613), 
grandson  of  the  Rev.  John  Brereton  of  Nor- 
folk, was  a  lawyer  and  statesman  of  that 
time. 

Sir  William  Brereton  of  Chester  in  1604 
was  appointed  to  arbitrate  a  dispute  be- 

24 


A  FAMILY  HISTORY 

tween  two  prominent  families  as  to  "which 
shall  sit  highest  in  the  church  and  foremost 
go  in  processions."  Wise  William,  and  hap- 
py age,  when  such  social  problems  were  so 
easily  solved  I 

Thomas  Brereton  of  Malpas  (1660-1700) 
was  a  poet  and  dramatist  of  note. 

In  1635,  John  Brereton,  Mayor  of  Ches- 
ter, established  an  exhibition  of  fine  horses, 
offering  a  prize  of  "a  silver  bell  worth  eight 
pounds";  this  fair  has  been  an  annual  event 
down  to  the  present. 

Thomas  Brereton  (1691-1722)  studied  at 
Oxford,  and  was  author,  dramatist,  and  cus- 
toms officer  of  the  British  Government  in 
Chester. 

Owen  Salsbury  Brereton  (1715-1798), 
son  of  Thomas  Brereton  of  Chester,  studied 
at  Cambridge,  and  was  a  noted  scholar  and 
archaeologist. 

Captain  William  Brereton,  of  the  Royal 
Navy,  military  governor  of  Manila,  1762- 
1765. 

Lieutenant  -  Colonel  Thomas  Brereton 
(1782-1832)  commanded  British  forces  in 

25 


BRERETON 

West  Indies  and  Cape  Town,  South  Africa. 

General  Sir  William  Brereton,  K.  C.  B., 
K.  H.  (1788-1864)— son  of  Major  Robert 
Brereton,  who  fought  at  CuUoden — com- 
manded at  Waterloo,  and  Sebastopol,  1812. 
Major  William  R.  Brereton,  of  Kildare, 
was  nephew  of  above. 

The  Rev.  Charles  Brereton  (1814-1895),  .^ 
son  of  John   Brereton,   LL.  D.,   Bedford, 
studied  at  Oxford;  was  Canon  of  Ely,  and 
author. 

The  Rev.  Charles  D.  Brereton  (1820- 
1876)  studied  at  Cambridge;  was  British 
consular  chaplain  in  Spain. 

Alfred  Brereton,  executive  of  British 
railroad  service  in  India. 

The  Rev.  Joseph  Lloyd  Brereton,  educa- 
tional reformer,  founded  a  school  of  practi- 
cal methods  for  sons  of  country  gentlemen. 

William  Westropp  Brereton  (1810- 
1867),  was  a  graduate  of  Trinity  College, 
Dublin;  Queen's  Counselor,  Irish  bar, Dub- 
lin. 

William  W.  Brereton,  M.R.C.S.I.,  Pro- 
fessor of  Surgery,  Queen's  College,  Dublin. 

26 


A  FAMILY  HISTORY 

Colonel  Edward  Fitzgerald  Brereton 
served  in  British  South  Africa. 

^^Breretons  of  Brinton,"  Norfolk,  show  a 
record  of  ten  generations. 

William  Fitzgerald  Brereton,  Liverpool, 
leaves  a  family  of  noted  ability,  three  sons 
and  two  daughters,  all  filling  important 
places  in  their  several  fields:  Austin  Brere- 
ton, London,  dramatic  journalist  and  critic; 
author  "Life  of  Henry  Irving."  Bernard  J. 
S.  Brereton,  Tacoma,  Washington,  expert 
in  forestry  and  lumber;  author;  has  six 
sons — Bernard  Duane,  Charles  Austin,  Wil- 
liam Albert,  Walter  Fitzgerald,  Charles 
Stanley,  Vernon — a  good  way  to  keep  the 
family  name  and  brains  alive.  Stanley  Brere- 
ton, Vancouver,  B.  C,  lumber  broker.  Iso- 
line  Brereton  Kerez  and  Mary  Layola 
Whiteside,  in  war  service  in  Europe. 

Colonel  Thomas  Brereton,  'Rathurlis, 
Tipperary,  served  in  British  army.  Lieuten- 
ant-Colonel John  Brereton,  of  same  family, 
served  in  British  army.  Franc  Sadlier 
Brereton,  D.  D.  S.,  San  Francisco,  Califor- 
nia. Captain  Fred  Sadlier  Brereton,  author 

27 


BRERETON 

of  many  books;  active  in  great  war.  J.  Sad- 
lier  Brereton,  public  accountant,  Salt  Lake 
City,  Utah.  Cloudsley  Brereton,  son  of  Cap- 
tain Shovell  H.  Brereton,  educator  and  au- 
thor, London  and  Paris. 

David  Brereton,  born  1732,  at  Killurine, 
Kings  County,  Ireland,  had  three  sons;  Dr. 
Joshua  Brereton,  born  1762,  surgeon,  TuUa- 
more  and  Dublin;  David  Brereton  (1768- 
1831)  who  remained  on  the  estate  in  Killu- 
rine ;  and  John  B rereton,  of  Rathdrum,  Kings 
County,  Ireland.  John  Brereton  (1799- 
1851),  of  Rathdrum,  son  of  the  above,  had 
four  sons :  William,  a  sea  captain,  who  mar- 
ried a  cousin  of  Sir  C.  Bridge,  and  his  son  is 
Lieutenant-Colonel  C.  B.  Brereton;  Samu- 
el, a  surgeon  in  the  British  army,  who  died 
in  Bagdad,  1880;  John  Brereton,  who  went 
to  NewZealand  in  1880;  and  George  Brere- 
ton, New  Haven,  Connecticut,  U.  S.  A., 
whose  son  graduated  from  Yale,  and  whose 
daughter  studied  in  Paris.  The  first  David 
above  was  also  great-grandfather  of  the  au- 
thor of  this  book. 

At  present  the  Breretons  in  the  profes- 

28 


A  FAMILY  HISTORY 

sional  and  industrial  life  of  Great  Britain 
are  too  numerous  to  record  here,  many  tak- 
ing part  in  the  great  European  struggle. 
Directories  of  London,  Dublin,  and  other 
cities  give  many  addresses. 

Many  Breretons  in  America  are  of  Irish 
origin,  and  it  is  fitting  that  some  account  be 
given  of  the  causes  and  time  of  their  going 
there.  Terms  quoted  below  are  common  in 
histories  of  that  period.  The  Anglo-Nor- 
man invasion  of  Ireland,  during  the  twelfth 
century,  introduced  elements  that  later  be- 
came factors  in  the  struggle  against  Eng- 
land. At  first  the  motive  of  these  settlers  was 
to  change  Ireland  into  an  English  colony. 
The  "English  Pale"  included  several  coun- 
ties around  Dublin,  where  Irish  dress  and 
customs  were  forbidden  by  repressive  laws 
which  prohibited  marriage  or  any  dealings 
with  the  "mere  Irish";  but  in  spite  of  laws 
many  became  "English  rebels,"  adopting 
Irish  customs  and  religion.  Doubtless  some 
of  these  "adventurers"  were  Breretons,  who 
settled  in  Ireland  at  an  early  date,  account- 
ing for  some  Breretons  being  Roman  Cath- 
29 


BRERETON 

olics;  but,  regardless  of  religion,  all  who 
bear  the  name  are  derived  from  the  same 
Norman  stock,  dating  back  to  A.  D.  1066. 

Many  great  Irish  characters  are  of  Eng- 
lish or  other  than  Celtic  origin.  The  Duke 
of  Ormond  was  related  to  the  Kings  of  Eng- 
land. He  was  honored  by  the  title  "Butler 
of  Ireland,"  and  later  this  official  title  was 
adopted  as  the  family  name — Butler,  Ger- 
aldines,  or  Gerald,  noted  Norman  -  Welsh 
leaders,  became  Fitzgerald  (meaning  ''son 
of  Gerald") ,  a  name  that  has  given  glory  to 
Ireland  over  the  world.  Charles  S.  Parnell, 
the  great  Irish  leader,  was  of  an  American 
mother;  his  father's  people  moved  from 
Cheshire  into  Ireland  about  1660.  Edmund 
Burke  came  of  an  English  father,  was  edu- 
cated in  England,  and  was  a  member  of  the 
English  church.  Henry  Grattan  was  of  An- 
glo-Norman stock,  and  a  Protestant.  Even 
Saint  Patrick  was  of  Scotch  or  French  ori- 
gin. The  romance  of  such  a  record  consists 
in  those  non-Celtic  people  becoming  ardent 
Irish  patriots.  This  is  no  reflection  on  any 
race,  but  corrects  the  common  impression 

30 


A  FAMILY  HISTORY 

that  Ireland  is  altogether  Celtic,  while  in 
fact  much  of  its  glory  comes  from  leaders  of 
Anglo-Norman-Irish  stock. 

A  few  authentic  records  of  Breretons  in 
Ireland  are  given  as  evidence  of  their  influ- 
ence. 

In  1548  John  Brereton  was  military  com- 
mander of  Wexford,  where  he  suppressed 
roving  bands  of  robbers,  and  established  or- 
der in  his  district. 

In  ISSO,  Captain  Andrew  Brereton  held 
the  estate  of  "Lucale"  in  Ulster,  where  he 
resisted  the  O'Neills  of  Tyrone,  and  in  a 
personal  encounter  "slew  seven  assailants, 
including  two  brothers  of  the  Countess."  In 
1563,  he  is  called  "the  turbulent  farmer  of 
Lucale,"  and,  to  escape  the  vengeance  of  the 
natives,  sold  his  estate  of  thirty-two  thou- 
sand acres  to  the  Earl  of  Kildare  and  moved 
to  other  parts. 

In  1534,  Sir  William  Brereton  was  active 
in  suppressing  "Fitzgerald's  rebellion,"  and 
was  made  Lord  High  Marshal  of  Ireland 
in  1540,  but  died  soon  after,  and  was  buried 
in   Kilkenny.   His  son.  Captain  Brereton, 

31 


BRERETON 

was  also  engaged  with  him  in  this  war.  An- 
drew Brereton,  another  son,  in  15S0  married 
Catherine,  daughter  of  Sir  Andrew  Fitz- 
simons,  of  a  noted  Anglo-Irish  family. 

In  1551,  a  company  of  "Anglo-Irish  gen- 
tlemen," among  whom  was  a  Brereton, 
agreed  to  settle  Kings  and  Queens  counties, 
they  to  have  the  lands  confiscated  from  the 
O'Mores  and  O'Conors,  on  condition  that 
they  "keep  out  the  Irish  rebels." 

In  1635,  Sir  William  Brereton  made  a 
tour  of  Ireland,  writing  a  description  of  the 
peoples  and  the  conditions  there.  He  was  a 
man  of  unusual  ability,  as  may  be  seen  from 
his  journal,  preserved  among  the  Clarendon 
manuscripts  and  printed  by  the  Chetham 
Society.  The  following  are  sample  prices 
paid  by  him  in  Ireland,  1635  : 

"Eggs,  seven  for  one  penny;  pullets 

threepence: 
Veal  and  mutton  one  penny  per 

pound : 
Large  salmon  threepence,  large  cod 

twopence : 

3^ 


A  FAMILY  HISTORY 

One  hundred  fresh  herrings  three- 
pence." 

This  was  Sir  William,  the  Parliamentary 
general,  who  took  sides  with  Cromwell,  and 
defeated  Lord  Byron  of  the  King's  forces  at 
Chester. 

Breretons  claiming  descent  from  Sir  Wil- 
liam, Lord  High  Marshal  of  Ireland, 
should  study  Irish  history,  and  note  that 
those  in  Ireland  previous  to  16S0  probably 
were  Roman  Catholics  or  English  royalists, 
and  were  driven  out  or  crushed  by  Crom- 
well. Therefore,  Breretons  who  are  Catho- 
lics, or  came  from  Ireland  to  America  in 
Colonial  day^^have  best  historic  grounds  for 
making  this  claim. Breretons  who  have  been 
influential  in  Ireland  since  Cromwell's  time 
are  more  apt  to  be  descended  from  follow- 
ers of  Sir  William,  the  Parliamentary  gen- 
eral, as  land  grants  made  to  Protestants  by 
Cromwell  show.  Prendergast's  history  of 
Ireland  gives  the  name  of  Sir  William 
Brereton  as  getting  grants  of  four  thousand 
eight  hundred  and  twenty-six  acres  in  Tip- 

33 


BRERETON 

perary;  also,  "Major  Brereton,  of  Colonel 
Sadlier's  division, was  granted  lands  in  Tip- 
perary,  about  1645." 

In  a  private  letter  just  at  hand  from  W. 
F.  Butler,  Irish  historian  of  Dublin,  he 
gives  me  names  of  Breretons  who  were 
granted  lands  in  Ireland  about  1645,  as  fol- 
lows: "Henry  Brereton  of  Dublin,  lands  in 
Cavin;  Sir  Thomas  Brereton,  lands  in  Tip- 
perary.  Among  English  officers  who  were 
paid  in  Irish  land-grants  were  Robert 
Brereton,  Captain  Samuel  Brereton,  and 
William  Brereton."  These  doubtless  were 
some  of  the  forefathers  of  many  Breretons 
who  trace  their  ancestors  to  Ireland.  From 
1541,  under  Henry  VIII  and  Elizabeth, 
through  Cromwell's  time,  to  William  III, 
1690,  practically  all  Ireland  was  "trans- 
planted," the  most  active  "Papists"  being 
banished  to  Spain  and  America,  their  prop- 
erty being  confiscated, leaving  Ireland  with- 
out leaders,  the  poorest  natives  only  being 
retained  as  serfs  to  cultivate  the  soil.  This 
forced  migration  accounts  for  many  early 
American  families  with  Irish  names,  espe- 

34 


A  FAMILY  HISTORY 

cially  in  the  South.  The  mass  of  Irish  immi- 
grants came  to  the  United  States  much  later. 
These  vast  estates  of  the  old  Irish  gentry, 
confiscated  from  Roman  Catholics,  were 
sold  or  given  to  English  Protestants,  whose 
descendants  have  since  held  large  tracts,  as 
absentee  landlords,  in  Ireland. 

Owing  to  poor  crops,  high  taxes,  and  con- 
stant political  agitation,  conditions  in  Ire- 
land grew  worse,  prompting  many  enter- 
prising people  to  move  to  America.  Among 
these  were  Breretons,  some  amidst  pioneer 
conditions,  losing  trace  of  their  origin,  hav- 
ing no  record  as  to  where  their  fathers  came 
from  or  when  they  landed  in  America.  But 
the  name  unites  us,  and  this  history  aims  to 
give  a  background,  in  hope  of  clearing  a 
way  for  each  family  to  find  its  proper  place 
on  the  genealogical  tree. 

Early  accounts  of  Breretons  in  America 
are  important,  not  alone  for  those  who  have 
no  records,  but  to  help  others  find  theit 
place  and  relationship  by  research.The  first 
known  was  John  Brereton  of  Chester,  who 
studied  at  Cambridge,  1 587- 1589,  and  went 

35 


BRERETON 

on  a  voyage  of  discovery  to  Virginia  with 
Captain  Gosnold  in  1602.  The  Dictionary 
of  National  Biography,  writing  of  this,  says: 
"On  Friday,  May  14,  1602,  the  voyagers 
made  the  headland  which  they  named  Cape 
Cod.  Here  Gosnold  and  Brereton  went 
ashore  on  white  sand,  the  first  spot  in  New 
England  ever  trodden  by  English  feet. 
Doubling  the  cape  and  passing  Nantucket, 
they  touched  at  Martha's  Vineyard,  and 
passing  round  Dover  Cliff,  entered  Buz- 
zards Bay."  (All  named  first  by  Brereton.) 
Captain  John  Smith,  in  his  "Adventures 
and  Discourses,"  writes:  "Master  John 
Brereton  and  the  account  of  his  voyage  fair- 
ly turned  my  brains^  and  impelled  me  to 
cast  in  my  lot  with  Gosnold  and  Wingfield, 
and  make  that  subsequent  voyage,  which  re- 
sulted in  planting  and  colonization  of  Vir- 
ginia in  1607."  This  Brereton  account  is  re- 
printed in  the  Massachusetts  Historical  Col- 
lection, also  in  Captain  John  Smith's  history 
of  Virginia;  a  copy  of  the  original  sold  in 
1878  for  sixteen  hundred  dollars.  These  re- 
prints may  be  found  in  every  large  library, 

36 


A  FAMILY  HISTORY 

and  should  be  read,  as  it  is  beautifully  writ- 
ten, and  all  should  know  that,  though  no 
Brereton  came  over  in  the  "Mayflower," 
they  were  represented  on  the  ground  before 
it  landed,  and  this  John  Brereton  may  have 
stood  on  Plymouth  Rock  before  the  Pil- 
grims hallowed  it  by  their  feet. 

A  few  quotations  from  the  Brereton  ac- 
count may  whet  the  appetite,  or  satisfy  those 
not  privileged  to  read  it  all:  "In  May  we 
sowed  for  trial,  wheat,  barley,  oats,  pease, 
which  in  fourteen  days  sprung  up  nine 
inches."  Captain  Gosnold  made  Brereton 
the  leader  in  trading  with  the  Indians  for 
furs  and  copper.  Of  them  he  writes:  "These 
people  (Indians)  are  exceeding  courteous, 
gentle  of  disposition,  and  well  conditioned, 
excelling  all  others  that  we  have  seen  for 
shape  of  body  and  lovely  favor,  I  think  they 
excell  all  the  people  of  America;  of  stature 
much  higher  than  we,  of  complexion  much 
like  a  dark  olive,  their  eyebrows  and  hair 
black,  which  they  wear  long,  tied  up  behind 
in  knots,  whereon  they  prick  feathers  of 
fowls,  in  fashion  of  a  coronet.  We  saw  but 

37 


BRERETON 

three  of  their  women;  they  were  low  in 
stature,  and  were  fat  and  well  favored,  and 
much  delighted  in  our  company:  the  men 
are  very  dutiful  towards  them.  Though  our 
diet  and  lodging  were  none  of  the  best,  yet 
we  had  no  sickness,  and  were  much  fatter 
and  in  better  health  than  in  England.  On 
June  the  18th,  being  Friday,  we  left  the  fair 
land  with  many  sorrowful  eyes.  Returning 
we  landed  at  Exmouth,  England,  on  Fri- 
day, July  23rd,  being  absent  in  all  four 
months."  The  full  account  is  well  worth 
reading,  as  it  gives  the  first  impression  of 
the  country.  Friday  seems  to  have  been 
Brereton's  lucky  day. 

After  the  settlement  of  Jamestown  col- 
ony, in  1607,  great  interest  was  aroused  in 
England,  and  a  second  charter  was  granted 
by  the  King  in  1609.  It  was  signed  by  six 
hundred  and  fifty-seven  names,  including 
twenty-one  peers,  ninety-six  knights,  fifty- 
three  captains,  twenty-eight  esquires,  fifty- 
eight  gentlemen,  and  other  "adventurers," 
among  whom  was  Thomas  Brereton. 

In  1612,  a  third  charter  was  secured,  by 

38 


A  FAMILY  HISTORY 

petition  of  three  hundred  and  twenty-five 
gentlemen,  including  Thomas  Brereton  and 
"John  Brereton,  a  merchant  of  London." 
Following  these  names  in  brackets  is  a  note, 
thus:  [Britain,  Britton,  Bretton,  Braxton], 
indicating  different  ways  of  spelling  these 
names  on  the  records.  Each  of  the  petition- 
ers was  to  pay  thirty-seven  pounds  ten  shil- 
lings to  equip  the  expedition,  and  were  to 
receive  in  return  a  "chance"  for  lands  or 
other  interest  in  the  new  world. 

Captain  John  Smith  in  the  account  of  his 
adventures  with  Powhatan  and  Pocahontas 
tells  of  Edward  Brereton,  who  was  a  "soul- 
dier  captured  by  the  Salvages"  and  "set  to 
kill  fouel" ;  also,  he  was  one  of  four  chosen 
to  accompany  Smith  to  the  lodge  of  Pow- 
hatan, after  "Captain  Newport  refused  to 
go  unless  a  guard  of  120  should  accompany 
him."  The  amusing  thing  in  the  record  is 
that  Brereton's  name  is  spelled  "Edward 
Burton,"  "Brynton,"  and  "Brinton"  in  dif- 
ferent parts  of  the  same  narrative.  Even 
John  Brereton,  of  Gosnold's  voyage,  known 
to  have  been  a  scholar,  signed  his  name 

39 


BRERETON 

"Brierton,"  as  appears  in  the  original;  an 
example  of  times  when  gentlemen  were 
more  familiar  with  the  sword  than  the  pen. 
To  spell  and  pronounce  the  name  has  been 
a  problem,  even  in  the  family,  as  is  evident 
from  records  of  earliest  times.  In  Cheshire 
memorial  windows,  tablets,  and  records, 
dating  from  1200  to  1600,  it  was  occasional- 
ly written  "Breto,"  "Brert,"  "Berreton," 
"Breerton,"  ^'Brerton,"  "Bretone,"  "Brier- 
ton,"  several  different  spellings  appearing 
in  the  same  inscription.  Some  were  doubt- 
less abbreviations,  as  was  the  custom  in 
those  times.  How  to  pronounce  the  name 
seems  easy  to  most  of  us,  but  strangers  find 
it  difficult,  and  there  is  a  difference,  even 
among  ourselves,  because  we  seldom  meet 
Breretons  outside  our  own  family,  to  stand- 
ardize our  accents.  Some  give  e  the  long 
sound  as  "Breerton";  but  I  much  prefer  the 
broad  sound,  making  the  first  part  rhyme 
with  care,  fare,  brare.  Practice  this  a  min- 
ute and  you  have  it. 

The  following  records  of  Breretons  who 
settled  in  America  during  Colonial  days 
40 


A  FAMILY  HISTORY 

have  been  found;  but  owing  to  different 
ways  of  spelling  the  name  it  has  been  diffi- 
cult to  follow  up  clues  at  this  distance  from 
original  sources.  The  Maryland  records 
give  a  hint  of  what  may  be  done  in  Virginia 
and  adjoining  states  by  those  located  near 
there,  if  willing  to  make  the  search. 

In  1628,  Sir  William  Brereton  held  in- 
terests in  Massachusetts,  being  a  director  in 
a  company  that  promoted  the  settlement  of 
Charlestown,  now  included  in  the  munici- 
pality of  Boston. 

In  1670,John  Winthrop,  of  Boston, wrote 
Lord  Brereton  relating  to  the  settlement  of 
New  England.  This  letter  is  on  file  in  the 
English  archives. 

During  the  parliamentary  agitation  in 
England,  many  gentlemen  of  both  sides  lost 
their  estates,  and  others  fled  the  country  to 
save  their  lives.  These  Cavaliers  went  to 
Virginia,'  Maryland,  and  adjoining  colo- 
nies, to  make  new  homes  and  lay  founda- 
tions for  the  future  United  States.  Among 
them  were  ancestors  of  Washington,  Jeffer- 
son, Randolph,  Madison,  and  some  Brere- 

41 


BRERETON 

tons,  as  shown  by  records  preserved  in  the 
archives  of  the  states. 

William  Brereton  (Bretton,  Britton), 
gentleman,  settled  on  the  Potomac,  Mary- 
land, in  1637.  He  ^^transported  himself,  his 
wife,  one  child,  and  three  able  menser- 
vants,"  for  which  he  was  granted  seven  hun- 
dred and  fifty  acres  in  St.  Marys  County. 
He  was  a  burgess  of  the  assembly  in  1649, 
and  gave  land  for  a  church  on  St.  Clemens 
Bay  in  1661.  Breton's  Bay  and  Britton, 
Maryland,  mark  the  locality  of  his  estate. 

September  9,  1659,  a  tract  of  land  called 
"Brereton"  was  surveyed  in  Cecil  County, 
Maryland,  for  "William  Bretton,  gent." 
This  may  have  been  the  same  Brereton  as 
above. 

June  5,  1675,  a  tract  of  three  hundred  and 
fifty  acres,  entitled  "Brereton's  Chance," 
was  granted  William  Brereton,  for  "trans- 
porting himself,  his  wife,  his  son  William, 
and  four  able  men."  This  was  evidently  a 
different  William  Brereton,  as  it  was  thirty- 
seven  years  later,  and  he  brought  four  men, 
while  the  other  brought  but  three. 
42 


A  FAMILY  HISTORY 

November  IS,  1675,  ^'Mr.  William 
Brereton,  one  of  his  Lordship's  justices  of 
ye  county  of  Somersett,"  married  Nicholas 
Toadvin  and  Sarah  Lowry,  foreparents  of 
many  prominent  Maryland  families  of  the 
present  time. 

These  records  are  important,  because  the 
land  described  as  ^^Brereton's  Chance"  has 
been  held  by  descendants  of  the  Breretons 
for  over  two  hundred  years;  but  the  spell- 
ing of  the  name  has  been  changed  to  "Brew- 
ington,"  no  one  knows  just  when  or  why.  I 
am  indebted  to  Senator  Marion  V.  Brew- 
ington,  Salisbury,  Maryland,  for  photo- 
graphic copies  of  documents  preserved  in 
Annapolis,  Maryland,  showing  ten  different 
spellings  of  the  name,  several  on  the  same 
page,  in  the  same  handwriting.  The  old 
family  Bible  records  show  the  gradual 
change  in  spelling,  as,  "Brereton,"  "B reun- 
ion," "Brewington."  One  branch  of  this  in- 
teresting family  spells  the  name  "F.  W. 
Bruington,  Cripple  Creek,  Colo.,"  another 
holds  to  the  original  spelling — "George  W. 
Brereton,  Peninsular  Junction,  Md." Henry 

43 


BRERETON 

Scott  Brewington,  attorney,  Baltimore, 
Maryland,  stoutly  maintains  that  his  name 
is  Brereton,  but  for  business  reasons  spells  it 
otherwise.  The  Rev.  Julius  A.  Brewington, 
Lewisville,  Pennsylvania,  is  another,  proud 
to  claim  his  origin  from  Brereton  stock.  Old 
tombstones  and  records  in  Maryland  show 
"Brereton"  as  the  original  spelling  of 
Brewington.  This  Colonial  family,  in  all  its 
connections,  is  talented  in  many  ways,  hold- 
ing high  positions  in  society  and  business.  It 
is  hoped  they  may  all  find  it  convenient  to 
return  to  the  standard  form  of  spelling  the 
historic  name. 

Carter  Braxton,  a  prominent  Virginia 
planter,  and  signer  of  the  Declaration  of 
Independence,  is  credited  with  deriving 
wealth  from  his  ancestors,  but  his  biogra- 
phers give  no  hint  of  whom  they  were.  This 
is  unfortunate,  as  the  name  and  what  is 
known  of  the  man  show  many  Brereton 
characteristics. 

A  few  names,  correctly  spelled,  appear, 
as — "Colonel  Thomas  Brereton,  of  North- 
umberland county,  Virginia,"  an  officer  in 

44 


A  FAMILY  HISTORY 

the  Colonial  army  in  1680;  Robert  Brere- 
ton,  a  chaplain  in  the  army  in  1741 ;  "Lieut. 
Edward  Brereton,"  1755;  "Edward  Brere- 
ton,  ensign,"  1756.  I  have  been  unable  to 
trace  the  descendants  of  these  Breretons; 
they  probably  are  lost  in  the  female  line,  or, 
through  incorrect  spelling,  exist  under 
other  names  resembling  ours.AmongRhode 
Island  records,  in  1661,  Francis  Brayton  is 
mentioned  four  different  times  as  a  commis- 
sioner of  Portsmouth  colony,  and  in  1774 
Captain  David  Brayton  is  recorded  as  an 
officer  of  the  militia.  In  1786,  Stephen  Bray- 
ton of  North  Providence  was  appointed  a 
commissioner  of  roads  by  William  Brenton, 
the  Governor  of  Rhode  Island.  How  sug- 
gestive this  sounds!  Let  someone  make  a 
study  of  early  Rhode  Island  records  for  the 
origin  of  these  names.  Their  prominence  in 
public  affairs  indicates  that  they  may  have 
been  Breretons  whose  names  were  incorrect- 
ly spelled  by  the  clerk,  and  in  time  their 
families  fell  into  the  same  custom. 

The  historical  romance,  "Janice  Mere- 
dith," represents  Colonel  John  Brereton  as 

45 


BRERETON 

the  hero  of  that  story.  He  was  one  of  Wash- 
ington's aides.  All  who  read  the  book  will 
agree  that  Brereton  acted  up  to  the  best 
traditions  of  the  family,  as  courtier  and  sol- 
dier. 

The  first  census  of  the  United  States,  tak- 
en in  1790,  gives  many  family  names  as 
Brewerton,  Brenton,  Breyton,  Brewington, 
Brayton,  Braxton,  Britton,  etc.,  from  New 
York,  Pennsylvania,  Rhode  Island,  Dela- 
ware, Maryland,  and  Virginia.  A  note  in 
the  preface  says:  ''No  attempt  has  been 
made  to  correct  the  spelling  of  these  names; 
they  are  printed  as  written  on  the  records." 
The  given  names,  William,  John,  David, 
Thomas,  Daniel,  Joshua,  Stephen,  Henry, 
Francis,  Samuel,  and  George,  are  all  there, 
strongly  suggesting  the  family  inheritance. 
If  the  good  people  of  these  names  in  Ameri- 
ca could  trace  back  their  pedigree,  I  am 
persuaded  many  of  them  might  find  their 
origin  in  Brereton  of  Cheshire. 

The  following  pages  contain  names  and 
addresses  of  American  Brereton  families 
that  deserve  a  fuller  treatment  of  their  his- 

46 


A  FAMILY  HISTORY 

tory,  but  most  of  them  have  been  reluctant 
to  give  any  account  of  themselves  and  their 
doings.  I  have  been  compelled  to  issue  w^hat 
I  could  gather,  hoping  to  stir  up  interest  in 
family  genealogy,  later  to  collect  more  facts 
to  complete  the  records,  and  tell  of  achieve- 
ments along  lines  of  professional  and  indus- 
trial life. 

Most  European  genealogies  are  made  up 
of  the  names  of  sons  v^ho  have  inherited  es- 
tates and  honors  from  notable  fathers.  Is  it 
not  greater  to  be  an  American,  descended 
from  noble  ancestors,  but  to  have  succeeded 
by  our  own  efforts  in  a  new  and  greater  coun- 
try? Modesty  may  be  a  desirable  trait  of 
character,  but  self-depreciation  never  helps 
to  success.  Often  while  gentlemen  courte- 
ously step  aside  some  bull-necked  fellow 
rushes  ahead  and  wins  the  race.  Although 
it  is  never  wise  to  be  crude  or  boastful,  it  is 
often  necessary  to  be  aggressive  in  our  ef- 
forts, and  duly  appreciative  of  our  endow- 
ments. To  inherit  a  family  name  that  has 
held  a  high  place  for  eight  hundred  and  fif- 
ty years  is  no  small  privilege,  and  should  in- 

47 


BRERETON 

spire  US  to  live  on  higher  planes.  Every 
Brereton  should  feel  proud  of  this  heritage, 
and  in  all  honorable  ways  endeavor  to  add 
fresh  laurels  to  his  lineage  and  make  sub- 
stantial additions  to  the  family  history.  Re- 
member your  forefathers  were  with  Wil- 
liam the  Conqueror,  and  fought  in  the  bat- 
tle of  Hastings  in  1066;  and  that  they  were 
leaders  in  the  Crusades,  the  English  Revo- 
lution and  Commonwealth,  also  in  the 
American  Revolution  on  both  sides,  and 
scores  of  them  are  in  the  great  war  for  de- 
mocracy. Surely  no  one  of  the  name  or  blood 
should  fail  to  attempt  the  greatest  possible 
things  in  the  life  of  the  present.  All  should 
struggle  for  the  best  training,  and  by  com- 
bined talent  and  energy,  in  some  worthy 
work  or  profession,  attain  to  the  highest  pos- 
sible usefulness  in  society.  Learn  to  look  at 
life  seriously,  and  try  to  surpass  the  heroism 
shown  in  war  by  mental  and  moral  heroism 
in  the  arts  of  peace.  In  the  female  line,  those 
who  lose  the  name  by  marriage  should  re- 
tain it  as  a  middle  name,  and  always  give  it 
to  their  children  as  a  first  or  second  name. 

48 


A  FAMILY  HISTORY 

Let  all  who  read  this  search  diligently  for 
family  records,  and  send  copies  of  reliable 
data,  including  their  photographs,  that  I 
may  know  an  enlarging  circle  and  have  a 
constantly  growing  Brereton  biography. 

An  important  matter,  having  much  to  do 
with  perpetuating  the  name,  is  here  added 
in  all  seriousness,  because  it  may  transform 
many  lives.  If  there  are  bachelor  Breretons, 
this  book  will  fail  in  a  part  of  its  mission  if 
they  are  not  moved  to  embark  on  the  sea  of 
matrimony.  Also  there  may  be  some  splen- 
did Brereton  girls  that  do  not  care  to  lose 
the  name  by  such  an  adventure.  Permit  me 
to  say  that  I  am  Brereton  from  both  parents, 
my  mother  being  a  Brereton  as  well  as  my 
father,  though  very  remotely  related.  If 
such  a  fortunate  combination  could  happen 
in  Ireland,  why  not  in  America?  We  owe 
something  to  the  human  race  and  to  the 
Brereton  name,  as  well  as  to  ourselves. 
Shakespeare  puts  it: 

"Seeds  spring  from  seeds,  and  beauty  breedeth  beauty, 
Thou  wast  begot,  to  beget  is  now  thy  duty ; 
And  so  in  spite  of  death,  thou  shalt  survive, 
In  that  thy  likeness  shall  be  left  alive." 

49 


BRERETON 

I  am  sure  some  of  the  fairies  came  across 
with  me,  for  they  often  help  in  many  ways. 
Now  I  shall  commission  them  to  suggest  a 
day-dream  to  every  bachelor,  in  which  he 
shall  see  a  home  and  fortune,  not  in  gold, 
but  a  splendid  helpmeet,  and  in  the  distant 
shadows  a  group  of  little  Breretons  playing 
pranks  with  him  on  the  floor,  while  an  angel 
looks  on  and  smiles. 

Let  all  bachelor  Breretons  and  marriage- 
able girls  know  that  when  they  read  this  the 
fairies  are  after  them,  and  some  day  may 
overtake  and  touch  them  with  their  magic 
wands,  bewitching  and  luring  them  into 
paradise.  Talk  about  the  high  cost  of  living 
is  nonsense;  love  finds  and  provides  a  way; 
and  as  to  the  failures  in  married  life,  there 
are  more  failures  outside  than  inside;  there- 
fore, of  two  paths  choose  the  better.  The  au- 
thor stands  ready  to  help  the  good  fairies  by 
introducing  lonesome  souls.  Who  will  lead 
the  procession  to  the  nuptial  altar?  The 
long-time  theory  of  "evolution  through  en- 
vironment" is  giving  place  to  the  more  re- 
cent conclusions  of  science,  that  HEREDITY 

50 


A  FAMILY  HISTORY 

has  most  to  do  with  destiny.  The  best  brawn 
and  brain  should  be  perpetuated.  The  unfit 
are  sure  to  breed;  let  the  superior  regard  it 
as  a  sacred  duty. 

Here  follow  authentic  records  of  Ameri- 
can Brereton  families,  placed  in  groups  of 
close  relationship,  so  far  as  could  be  learned, 
by  long  correspondence. 

The  Rev.  Andrew  Brereton,  rector  of 
Newtown,  near  Dublin;  M.  A.  of  Dublin 
College;  descended  from  Sir  William 
Brereton,  Lord  Chief  Justice  of  Ireland. 
His  son,  Thomas  Brereton,  merchant  of 
Dublin,  later  styled  "Gent,"  had  one  son. 

Captain  Thomas  Brereton,  in  govern- 
ment service,  sailed  for  America,  located  in 
Baltimore.  Dr.  John  A.  Brereton,  his  son, 
surgeon  in  United  States  army,  1821-1839. 

Captain  Thomas  J.  Brereton,  graduate 
West  Point;  U.  S.  army,  1839-1858.  Wil- 
liam D.  Brereton,  son  of  the  above,  of  An- 
napolis, Maryland;  has  two  noted  sons — 
Lieutenant  William  D.  Brereton,  in  United 
States  navy,  and  Lieutenant-Colonel  Lewis 
H.  Brereton,  aviation  corps,  U.  S.  service. 

51 


BRERETON 

The  latter  has  been  awarded  the  American 
Medal  of  Honor,  the  French  Croix  de 
Guerre,  and  the  Cross  of  the  Legion  of 
Honor,  for  heroism  and  efficiency  with 
General  Pershing  in  France. 

Hon.  Henry  E.  H.  Brereton,  State  As- 
sembly, Albany,  New  York. 

Thomas  J.  Brereton,  B.  A.,  C.  E.,  pub- 
lisher, Chambersburg,  Pennsylvania;  has 
four  sons — Thomas  L.  Brereton,  in  business 
in  Philadelphia,  and  three  younger  sons, 
Seaton  L.,  Francis  M.,  O'Hara  D.,  all  in 
United  States  service  in  France.  This  fam- 
ily shows  almost  one  hundred  years  of  mili- 
tary service,  and  six  generations  in  Ameri- 
ca. A  good  example  of  how  to  keep  the  name 
honored  and  perpetuated. 

Stephen  Brereton  (1792-18SS)  descended 
from  Henry  Brereton,  of  Maryland,  prob- 
ably of  Colonial  stock;  moved  to  Illinois  in 
1835;  Edward  P.  Brereton  (1826-1897), 
and  Charles  L.  Brereton,  merchant,  both  of 
Pekin,  Illinois;  Stephen  W.  Brereton,  real 
estate,  and  Page  W.  Brereton,  attorney, both 
of  Denver,  Colorado;  James  T.  Brereton, 

52 


A  FAMILY  HISTORY 

United  States  internal  revenue  collector, 
Peoria,  Illinois. 

Samuel  Brereton  (1794-1854),  located  in 
Baltimore,  Maryland,  in  1818;  John  Brere- 
ton (1811-1854),  Washington,  D.  C;  Wil- 
liam H. Brereton  (1826-1894),  Omaha,  Ne- 
braska;  William  H.  Brereton,  Jr.,  attorney, 
Washington,  D.  C. ;  George  T.  and  Robert 
L.  Brereton,  Omaha,  Nebraska;  Charles, 
Edward,  and  Louise  Brereton,  Tacoma 
Park,  Washington,  D.  C;  James  I.  Brere- 
ton, music  dealer,  Bridgeport,  Connecticut; 
Charles  R.  Sharretts,  chief  clerk  War  De- 
partment, Catonville,  Maryland,  a  loyal  son 
of  a  Brereton  mother.  This  large  family 
connection  has  been  in  Government  service 
for  many  years,  and  is  probably  descended 
from  early  Colonial  stock  of  Maryland. 

Henry  Brereton  (1730-1775),  of  Coloni- 
al stock,  from  Maryland;  Thomas  Brereton 
(1756-1820),  son  of  above,  moved  to  Dela- 
ware at  an  early  date;  David  Wolf  Brereton 
(1796-1846),  located  at  Lewes,  Delaware, 
as  shown  by  old  record;  Daniel  W.  Brere- 
ton (1831  - 1910),  many  years  postmaster, 

53 


BRERETON 

Lewes,  Delaware;  Miss  Ella  Brereton,  in 
Government  service  in  Philadelphia;  J.  M. 
Brereton,  bandmaster,  Richmond,  Virginia. 
A  closely  related  branch,  descended  from 
Henry  Brereton — ^James  A.Brereton  (1813- 
1888),  Angola,  Delaware;  James  L.  Brere- 
ton (1848-1901),  contractor;  Arthur  M. 
Brereton,  auditor,  Philadelphia;  Frank 
Brereton,  Millsboro,  Delaware. 

A  family  now  widely  scattered  in  Ameri- 
ca is  here  recorded  so  far  as  known:  The 
Rev.  John  Brereton  (1645),  fourth  son  of 
Lord  Brereton,  rector  of  Beverly,  Yorks, 
England;  The  Rev.  Thomas  Brereton 
(1685),  son  of  above,  canon  of  Winchester, 
England;  John  Brereton,  M.  D.  (1717- 
1784),  son  of  Thomas,  Winchester,  Eng- 
land; The  Rev. John  Brereton  (1744-1811), 
Wilts,  England;  The  Rev.  Henry  Brere- 
ton (1783-1867),  four  children,  moved 
to  America  about  1869;  John  W.  Brere- 
ton, jeweler,  Richmond,  Virginia;  Francis 
Brereton  (1848-1901),  musician  and  jewel- 
er, left  four  children,  as  follows:  Edith  B. 
Dfmmitti!^  Azusa,  California;  Frances  R. 


A  FAMILY  HISTORY 

B.  Covey,  Topeka,  Kansas;  Mabel  Blanch 
B.  Bell,  Camp  Verde,  Arizona;  Henry  H. 
Brereton,  Camp  Verde,  Arizona.  Other 
members  of  this  branch:  John  Brereton, 
Toronto,  Canada;  Thomas  A.  Brereton, 
Clive,  Alberta,  Canada;  Francis  Brereton, 
in  business,  Winnipeg,  Canada;  C.  P. 
Brereton,  Strathclain,  Canada;  Thomas 
Brereton,  Stonewall,  Canada. 

Robert  Maitland  Brereton  (1834-1912), 
of  Norfolk  branch,  had  noted  career  as  civil 
engineer  in  England,  India,  and  Califor- 
nia; author  of  "The  Breretons  of  Cheshire," 
v^hich  shows  a  family  record  of  twenty-six 
generations  of  Breretons;  has  left  four  chil- 
dren of  talent  to  do  honor  to  the  name  in 
America. 

George  Brereton,  moved  from  Kings 
County,  Ireland,  to  Queens  County;  John 
Brereton,  son  of  above,  Mt.  Rath,  Queens 
County,  moved  to  Paterson,  New  Jersey, 
leaving  two  sons  of  note  —  Colonel  John 
J.  Brereton,  West  Point,  U.  S.  army,  1877- 
1904,  and  Lieutenant  Percy  H.  Brereton, 
U.  S.  revenue  cutter  service;  George  Brere- 

.    SS 


BRERETON 

ton,  son  of  George  above,  Kings  County, 
Ireland,  left  a  large  family,  some  engaged 
in  the  great  war;  Gilbert  Brereton,  a  son,  in 
business,  Brantford,  Canada. 

Edwin  George  Brereton,  Cheshire,  Eng- 
land, the  first  home  of  Breretons;  Edwin 
George  Brereton  (1835-1899), son  of  above, 
came  to  United  States  in  18S0,  locating  in 
Lacon,  Illinois,  conducting  a  carriage  fac- 
tory many  years;  Edwin  George  Brereton 
(1872-1916),  a  son,  moved  to  Los  Angeles, 
California;  Miss  Hazel  Brereton,  an  only 
child,  is  the  last  of  this  branch. 

John  C.  Brereton  (1811-1882),  Tippera- 
ry  and  Kings  County,  Ireland,  leaves  two 
sons  —  Daniel  M.  Brereton,  in  mercantile 
business,  San  Francisco,  California,  and 
the  Rev.  Edward  F.  Brereton  (1844- 
1904),  Roman  Catholic  priest, Sydney,  Aus- 
tralia. 

Wm.  H.  Brereton,  President  State  Bank, 
Provo,  Utah,  descended  from  three  genera- 
tions named  Richard  Brereton,  moved  from 
Cheshire  to  Utah  in  1860. 

Edward    Brereton,    merchant,    Temple- 

56 


A  FAMILY  HISTORY 

more,  Tipperary,  Ireland;  James  Brereton, 
his  son,  in  same  business,  moved  to  Man- 
chester, England,  184S;  William  J.  Brere- 
ton, son  of  above,  moved  to  New  York  City. 

James  Brereton  (1820-1898),  Manches- 
ter, moved  to  Ohio,  U.  S.,  1865;  has  two 
sons — Louis  Brereton,  iron  manufacturer, 
Salem,  Ohio,  and  J.  P.  Brereton,  insurance 
business,  Ashtabula,  Ohio;  John  Brereton 
(1853-1917),  son  of  James  above,  has  two 
daughters — Annie  and  May  Brereton,  To- 
ledo, Ohio. 

The  Rev.  James  E.  Brereton,  clergyman, 
Emmetsburg,  Iowa,  son  of  Peter  Brereton, 
who  moved  from  Manchester,  England,  to 
Illinois  in  1857;  has  two  sons — Harold  L. 
Brereton,  M.  D.,  in  United  States  medical 
service,  and  Loring  D.  Brereton,  sanitary 
engineer,  Emmetsburg,  Iowa. 

Sylvester  Brereton  (1835-1906),  cabinet- 
maker, Dublin,  Ireland;  William  J.  Brere- 
ton, Dublin,  came  to  America  in  1886;  died 
in  New  York  in  1904;  had  three  sons — Wil- 
liam J.,  Thomas  P.,  and  Sylvester  Brereton, 
New  York;  Joseph  P.  Brereton,  son  of  Syl- 

51 


BRERETON 

vester,  in  upholstering  business,  New  York; 
James  Brereton,  Corona,  Long  Island;  Jo- 
seph Brereton,  New  York;  and  others  of 
whom  I  have  failed  to  get  any  data. 

William  Brereton  (1851-1914),  son  of 
John  Brereton,  London,  moved  to  United 
States  in  1869;  was  in  hardware  business, 
Brooklyn,  New  York,  now  conducted  by  his 
son-in-law,  F.  T.  Apel,  whose  son  is  named 
Brereton  Apel,  to  perpetuate  the  name. 

William  Brereton,  Dublin,  moved  to 
United  States  in  1885;  has  three  sons — Wil- 
liam, Jr.,  newspaper  man,  Buffalo,  New 
York;  John  E.  and  Charles  A.,  in  United 
States  army. 

George  Brereton,  Nantwich,  Cheshire, 
head  gardener  to  Lord  Tallmach;  John 
Brereton  (1848-1900), Crewe,England;  had 
three  sons — Harry,  engineer,  in  England; 
Sydney,  killed  in  France;  Earnest,  came  to 
United  States  in  1905,  East  Liverpool,  Ohio. 

Patrick  B rereton  ( 1 826- 1 898 ) , stock  deal- 
er, Kildare,  Ireland;  his  son,  Edward  J. 
Brereton,  came  to  United  States  in  1895;  in 
life  insurance,  Hartford,  Connecticut. 

58 


A  FAMILY  HISTORY 

William  E.  Brereton,  Baker,  Montana; 
John  A.  Brereton  and  Mrs.  Cassie  Brereton 
Cothron,  Spokane,  Washington. 

Arthur  Brereton,  moved  from  Ireland  to 
Montreal,  Canada,  in  1846;  had  two  sons, 
Henry  and  Thomas,  who  left  large  families 
in  vicinity  of  Montreal;  Henry  Brereton 
(1826-1901),  Montreal,  Canada,  nine  sons, 
four  have  families;  Thomas  Brereton,  cab- 
inetmaker, died  in  1885 — his  sons,  Thomas 
and  John,  in  business;  John  Brereton,  son  of 
Henry,  railroad  conductor — five  sons,  eight 
daughters;  Thomas  Brereton,  in  cartage 
business,  Montreal  —  son  and  daughter; 
William  Brereton  (1866-1915)— son,  Ed- 
ward, in  army,  and  daughter,  Ella  H.,  lives 
in  Montreal;  Benjamin  Brereton,  farmer — 
two  sons  and  one  daughter — also  near  Mon- 
treal. 

Benjamin  B.  Brereton  (1806-1877),  son 
of  William  Brereton,  attorney,  Banagher, 
Ireland,  moved  to  Boonville,  Missouri, 
1848;  was  in  mercantile  business  before 
and  during  the  Civil  War.  Two  daughters 
and  a  son — ^Jane  L.  Brereton- Fowler,  Seda- 

59 


BRERETON 

lia,  Missouri  (eleven  children  and  fifteen 
grandchildren,  one  son  a  doctor,  others  in 
business  and  farming)  ;  Ruth  M.  Brereton- 
Davis,  Boonville,  Missouri  (seven  children 
and  eleven  grandchildren) ;  Frederick  B. 
Brereton,  Sedalia,  Missouri  (five  children 
and  sixteen  grandchildren).  All  this  group 
are  cousins  of  the  author  and  are  all  doing 
well  in  several  lines  of  business  and  manu- 
facturing. All  w^ere  born  and  raised  on  Mis- 
souri farms. 

George  Brereton,  Kings  County,  Ire- 
land, moved  to  Wisconsin  in  1850;  father  of 
seven  children  —  John,  Hugh,  Arthur, 
George,  Harriett,  Ellen,  and  Elisabeth,  all 
having  large  families,  making  a  colony,  and 
for  a  time  a  postofiice  (Brereton)  in  Dane 
County,  Wisconsin.  All  the  families  are 
v^ell  educated,  some  attending  the  Univer- 
sity and  Normal  School ;  mostly  devoted  to 
farming,  but  some  in  professions  and  busi- 
ness. 

A  family  widely  scattered,  and  successful 
in  business  in  several  states,  is  as  follows: 
Richard  Brereton,  stock-dealer,  near  Tulla- 
60 


A  FAMILY  HISTORY 

more,  Ireland;  Daniel  Brereton,  son  of 
above,  also  a  stock-dealer,  had  four  chil- 
dren come  to  United  States;  David  Brere- 
ton, contractor,  son  of  Daniel,  moved  to 
Delaware  in  1847, then  to  Canada;  William 
D.  Brereton,  his  son,  established  the  town  of 
Brereton,  Illinois,  and  is  now  in  investment 
business  in  Denver,  Colorado;  William  H. 
Brereton,  his  son,  is  a  mining  engineer  in 
Denver,  Colorado;  Charles  Brereton,  son 
of  David  above,  of  Clinton,  Iowa,  leaves  a 
large  family  there;  a  sister,  Hannah,  mar- 
ried James  Hanover,  of  Alpena,  Michigan, 
in  banking  business;  another  sister,  Kath- 
erine,  married  Albert  Hutton,  and  this 
family  has  large  interests  in  North  Caro- 
lina; George  N.  Hutton,  of  Hickory,North 
Carolina,  is  a  son  of  Katherine ;  another  son 
is  named  A. Brereton  Hutton,  indicating  the 
mother's  loyalty  to  the  ancestral  heritage. 

Here  follows  a  most  interesting  group  of 
families  spelling  the  name  "Brierton,"  com- 
ing mostly  from  the  region  of  Kildare,  Ire- 
land, their  forefathers  being  stock-raisers  in 
that  part  of  Ireland  famous  for  raising  fine 
61 


BRERETON 

blooded  racehorses.  James  Brierton  (1837- 
1893),  son  of  Mathew  Brierton,  came  to 
America  in  1856;  was  superintendent  of 
iron  works;  had  seven  children,  one  of 
whom  is  Mrs.  Nettie  Brierton-Townsend, 
whose  husband  is  in  the  banking  business  at 
Festus,  Missouri.  James  L.  Brierton,  son  of 
James  above,  is  a  ship-builder  and  manager 
of  a  transporting  company  in  New  Orleans. 
All  are  much  interested  in  their  ancestral 
origin. 

There  is  a  family  in  Hartford,  Connecti- 
cut, whose  grandfather,  Thomas  Brierton 
(1820-1895),  lived  in  Wicklow  County, 
Ireland,  and  was  in  the  cattle  business  there; 
Philip  Brierton  came  to  America  in  1870; 
Thomas  Brierton  and  family  live  in  Hart- 
ford, Connecticut. 

Another  family,  descended  from  James 
Brierton,  of  Kildare,  Ireland,  is  that  of 
Thomas  Brierton,  son  of  James,  who  had 
two  sons  that  came  to  America  after  their 
father's  death.  Thomas  Brierton,  located  in 
South  Orange,  New  Jersey.  John  William 
Brierton   (1846-1875)   came  to  California 

62 


A  FAMILY  HISTORY 

in  1866.  He  was  a  landscape  gardener.  His 
daughter,  Miss  Mary  Brierton,  is  now  a 
teacher  in  San  Francisco. 

Other  members  of  this  branch  of  the  fam- 
ily in  Ireland  and  America  have  failed  to 
report  in  time.  It  is  interesting  to  know  that 
this  is  the  form  in  which  John  Brereton, 
who  visited  Cape  Cod  in  1602,  signed  his 
name  to  his  account  of  the  voyage  written 
for  Sir  Walter  Raleigh. 

Names  given  in  this  history  are  but  a  few 
of  the  Breretons  who  have  served  their 
country  in  professional  and  public  callings; 
there  are  many  more  unrecorded — farmers, 
mechanics,  and  citizens  engaged  in  produc- 
tive employment,  who  have  enriched  the 
world  by  honest  industry,  but  whose  names 
are  difficult  to  secure. 

As  an  indication  of  the  far-flung  energy 
of  the  family,  there  are  now  seven  parishes 
or  towns  in  England  named  Brereton,  one 
in  South  Africa,  two  in  Canada,  one  in  Illi- 
nois, one  in  Wisconsin,  and  others  in  process 
of  forming. 

The  record  of  my  branch  of  Breretons 

63 


BRERETON 

follows,  hoping  it  may  lead  others  to  collect 
data  of  their  family  history,  beginning  with 
the  earliest  authentic  records.  Fill  in  a  blank 
page  or  two  of  facts  as  secured,  then  send  a 
copy  to  me.  This  will  make  the  book  more 
valuable  to  each  family  as  the  years  pass, 
and  may  prompt  our  children's  children  to 
render  nobler  service  to  the  world,  and  re- 
flect honor  on  the  name  in  centuries  to  come. 

The  Breretons  were  closely  related  to  the 
family  of  Sir  Robert  Digby,  whose  mother 
was  a  daughter  of  John,  Duke  of  York.  Sir 
Robert's  son,  Essex  Digby,  rector  of  Gea- 
shel,  Kings  County  Ireland,  married  Let- 
tice  Brereton  about  1640.  This  relationship 
may  have  induced  my  branch  of  Breretons 
to  settle  in  Ireland,  on  the  Digby  estate, 
about  two  hundred  years  ago.  This  was  not 
far  from  Slieve  Bloom  mountain  and  for- 
est, where  Finn,  the  great  hero  of  Irish  leg- 
ends, was  born. 

June  10,  1772,  an  indenture,  with  map 
of  lands  near  Tullamore,  Kings  County, 
Ireland,  between  Lord  Henry  Digby  and 
David  Brereton,  was  executed  on  parch- 

64 


A  FAMILY  HISTORY 

ment,  with  seals  in  wax,  all  well  preserved, 
and  now  in  my  possession. 

The  old  home,  built  of  stone,  with  its 
great  fireplace  in  the  kitchen,  around  which 
servants  sat  long  evenings,  telling  stories  of 
fairies  they  had  seen  and  talked  with,  and 
blood-curdling  cries  of  banshees  they  had 
heard  in  the  bogs,  foretelling  death  or  other 
evils  soon  to  befall  the  family,  are  among 
my  early  recollections.  High  -  walled  en- 
closures and  great  oak  barriers,  to  protect 
against  the  O'Mores  and  O'Conors,  were 
still  there.  Long  avenues,  bordered  with 
whitethorn  hedges;  meadows  with  daisy 
rings,  where  fairies  danced,  and  from  which 
skylarks  rose  to  sing;  bogs  with  stacks  of 
turf,  behind  which  banshees  cried  —  these 
are  all  memories  of  my  childhood  days  on 
the  ancestral  estate  in  Erin.  The  breaking 
up  of  the  old  home,  forsaking  associations 
rooted  for  generations,  broke  my  parents' 
spirit — but  that  is  a  tale  too  sad  for  these 
pages,  so  we  close  with  the  family  record. 

David  Brereton,  born  1732,  acquired  an 
estate  in  Killurine,  Kings  County,  Ireland, 

65 


BRERETON 

some  time  previous  to  1772,  the  date  of  the 
parchment  record  in  my  possession.  There 
were  three  sons — Dr.  Joshua  Brereton,  sur- 
geon, Tullamore  and  Dublin;  John  Brere- 
ton, of  Rathdrum,  Kings  County,  record  of 
whose  family  is  given  on  page  28;  David 
Brereton  (1768-1831),  heir  to  the  estate,  of 
w^hose  family  none  but  John  had  issue. 

John  Brereton  (1810-1888),  son  of  Da- 
vid, and  heir  to  the  estate,  married  Cath- 
erine Brereton,  daughter  of  William  Brere- 
ton, attorney,  Banagher,  thus  making  the 
author  a  Brereton  from  both  parents.  The 
family,  with  five  children,  moved  to  To- 
ronto, Canada,  in  1861. 

David  Brereton  (1850-1881);  one  son, 
Ira  D.  Brereton,  Buffalo,  New  York. 

William  R.  Brereton  (1851-1906),  pub- 
lisher, Boston,  Massachusetts;  one  son,  Ar- 
thur T.  Brereton. 

Richard  L.  Brereton  (1853-1910),  mer- 
chant, Toronto ;  two  sons,  Fred  A.  and  Her- 
bert. 

John  Brereton,  clergyman,  San  Francis- 
co, California;  six  children. 
66 


A  FAMILY  HISTORY  •= '  >  - '  " 

Louisa  A.  Brereton,  married  Joseph  A. 
Sansome,  St.  Paul,  Minnesota;  five  chil- 
dren. 

John  Brereton,  clergyman,  born  at  TuUa- 
more,  Kings  County,  Ireland;  moved  to 
Canada  with  parents  in  1865 ;  married  Elis- 
abeth M.Emerson,  Toronto;  came  to  United 
States  in  1880.  Six  children — Veronica  L. 
O.  Brereton,  married  Morley  P.  Hender- 
son, Palermo,  California;  Emerson  D. 
Brereton,  in  business,  Oroville,  California; 
Keturah  M.  Brereton,  in  office  business,  Or- 
oville, California;  John  Brereton,  Jr.,  pub- 
lic accountant,  Oroville,  California;  Ruth 
Brereton,  married  Ralph  M.  Fowler,  Lin- 
coln, California;  Louise  E.  Brereton,  teach- 
er, San  Francisco. 

Preparing  these  records  has  enlarged  my 
circle  of  friends — may  I  not  call  them 
''cousins"?  In  early  life  I  thought  there 
were  no  Breretons  in  America  except  our 
own  family;  later  I  learned  of  some,  then 
met  them;  now  I  know  hundreds,  and  am 
proud  of  them.  Some  may  wonder  why  the 
book  is  not  larger,  for  it  might  have  been  if 

67 


BRERETON 

more  letters  had  been  answered  and  more 
words  had  been  used ;  but  the  facts  are  giv- 
en as  collected,  and  that  is  the  best  I  could 
do,  owing  to  the  modesty  of  many  families. 

Volumes  have  been  written  about  Brere- 
tons  in  England,  and  some  in  Ireland,  and 
those  inclined  may  read  of  them  there.  I  am 
mostly  interested  in  America  and  in  the 
present,  but  hope  that  the  early  history  of 
each  family  may  be  searched  out. 

Many  letters  have  been  received  that 
shall  be  kept  among  my  most  precious  treas- 
ures, and  I  hope  to  get  others  from  those 
who  study  these  pages.  Criticize,  revise, 
commend;  for  some  day  a  few  more  pages 
may  be  added  to  the  records. 

In  saying  farewell,  I  extend  to  you  my 
hand  with  my  heart  in  it.  Let  us  be  more 
than  friends,  for  we  are  all  related.  Let  us 
resolve  that  the  name  shall  be  made  more 
honorable  by  our  actions.  Breretons  were 
gentlemen  of  old;  however  hard  the  lot  of 
some  may  be,  let  us  never  be  less  than  gen- 
tlemen at  heart,  in  these  more  modern  days 
in  America. 

68 


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UNIVERSITY  OF  CALIFORNIA— BERKELEY                      |H 

RETURN  TO  DESK  FROM  WHICH  BORROWED 

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3rereton.   u  family  history 


3a8483 


UNIVERSITY  OF  CALIFORNIA  LIBRARY 


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